Drawbridge joint connection and lock.



T. OBRIEN.

D RAWBRIDGE JOlNT CONN ECHON AND L0 MPLICAHON FILED MAR. 31

Patented June 26, L911 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS T. OBRIEN,

DRAWBRIDGE JOINT CONNECTION AND LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MARY3I, 1912.

Patented June 26 19177 2 SHEETSSHEEf 2.

near onnio.

THOMAS OBEIEN, OIE ,EI-IILADELPH IA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAWBRIDGE JOINT CGNNECTION AND LOCK.-

Application filed March 31,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TrioMAs OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in" the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Drawbridge Joint Connection and Look, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in providing rail road rails of a drawbridge and those of an" adjacent roadbedwith means, whereby said rails are firmly connected at their place of meeting and have an unbroken continuity thereat.

It consists also of novel means for locking said rails at their places of meeting.

It consists also of details of construction as will be hereinafter set forth.

The invention is satisfactorily illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but the important instrumentalities thereof may be varied, and so it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific, details shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a top or plan view of a drawbridge. connection and lock embodying my invention, the bridge being shown in closed condition.

Fig. 2 represents a transverse section on line 22 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a transverse section of a portion on line 3-3 Fig. 1. i 1

Fig. 4 represents a vertical section of a portion of Fig. 3 at a right angle thereto.

Fig. 5 is'a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in their open position.

Fig. 6 represents a transverse section on line 6+6 Fig. .5 showing the point rails raised to pass over the stock rails.

Fig. 7 represents a transverse section of a portion on line 7-7 Fig. 5..

Fig. 8 represents a section similar to Fig.

4 showing, however, certain members of the former in raised position.

Fig. 9 represents a transverse section of a detached portion and a sideelevation of an adjacent portion showing a modification on the latter.

Similar-numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, f

1 designates a portion of a drawbridge on which are the railroad rails 2, the ties 3, the rail clamps 4, and the point rails 5, the latter continuing from said rails 2 and being firmly secured thereto and projecting Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

1917. 'Seria1N0.159,015.

longitudinally beyond the terminal-0f the br dge so when in position they overlap the adjacent road bed. On the latter, are the railroad railsb; the ties 7, and the stock rails 8, thelatter continuing from said rail 6 and being firmly secured thereto and projecting longitudinally from said rails 6 toward the opposite approach of the drawbridge.

On adjacent ties 7 on the terminal of the road-bed toward the drawbridge is the base plate 9 which is firmly secured to said ties and has the terminal portions of the stock rails 8 mounted thereon and connected therewith, it being noticed also that when the drawbridge is closed, the point rails 5 of the latter are adapted also to rest on said plate against the sides of the stock rails S of the road-bed, and form continuities of each other, and consequently of the rails 2 and 6, as'plainly shown in Fig. 1, the contiguous sides of each pair of point and stock rails being oblique so that said rails may sit snugly and closely together and break joints one with'the other.

On the inner side of each point-rail 5 is the eye bolt 10 which has its head portion firmly secured to said rail '5, the two bolts projecting horizontally toward each other.

On the inner sides of the base plate 9 are the collars 11 placed one in front of the other and in which are openings which register with each other so as to receive bolts 12 which extend longitudinally along the roadbed and are adapted to be moved by any suitable means such as a semaphore, or under the control ofastation agent, bridge tender, signal operator or the like, it being noticed that said bolts 12are' adapted. also to pass through the eyes 13' ofthe bolts 10 when the bridge is in closed condition;

In each plate 9 between the pair of collars 11 is an opening'from the. walls of. which depends theboxor. housing 14 in the upper portion .of which. is the plunger 15 which is seated on the spring or resilient member 16 in said box, so as to elevate the latter which occurs when the drawbridge is in open. condition.

In order to guide the plunger its sides have therein vertically extending slots 17, the same receiving freely the bolts 18 which are secured to the sides of the box 14, the effect of which is evident.

It will be seen that in closing the bridge which in the present case is that of a laterally swinging drawbridge, the bridge is moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, raised slightly so that the point-rails 5 pass over the stock rails 8, and then when the former rails clear the latter, the bridge islowered when the rails 5 are positioned as in Fig. 1. The fiat bottoms 19 of the eyes 13 of the bolt 10 now contact with the plungers l5 and press down the same, see Figs. 3 and 4, until the openings of said eyes register. with the openings in the collars 11. Then the bolts 12 are shot into the regis-. tering collars 11 and eyes 13, thus locking the bolts 10 and consequently the point rails 5, and the drawbridge 1, and holding the latter immovable and retaining said point rails closely and firmly in contact with the stock rails 8, and preserving the continuity of the railsof the road-bed and drawbridge.

As the plungers 15 are forced upwardly by the springs 16 pressure is exerted upwardly on the eyes 13 of the bolts 10,'thus imparting a strain upwardly by-said eyes on the sliding bolts 12, assisting to render the latter immovable, and so preserving the lockingcondition of the drawbridge, and the engagement of the contiguous sides of the point and stock rails.

When the sliding bolts-12 are withdrawn by the rods or shanks 20, the latter being under the control of the operator of said bolts as has been stated, the bolts 10 are disconnected from said bolts 12. Then the drawbridge may be raised and the point rails 5 swung laterally over the stock rails-8 and so the bridge is opened.

As some of the weight of the drawbridge was imposed by the bolts 10 by their eyes 13 restingon the plungers 15, andsaid eyes have been removed from the latter, said plungers rise due to the action ofthe springs 16 and assume a position as in Fig. 8 ready to be depressed by the bolts 10 when the bridge is again closed.

On the plates 9 are the longitudinallyextending flanges 21 which are so disposed as to form guards on the sides of the point rails 5 when the latter are'in the .position that they occupy against the stock rails 8 when the bridge is closed so as to brace said rails 5 on the sides oppositeto the stock rails 8 in addition to the holding action of the eye bolts 10, and slide bolts 12.

In :Fig. 6, the point rails 5 are shown raised so as to clear the stock rails 8 inthe operations of opening and closingthe drawbridge, seearrows in said figure.

In Fig. 9, the top of the plungeris shown with an upwardly projecting fiange 22, the inner side of which is inclined so that when the bottom of the eye 13 of a bolt 10 engages said side, said eye will ride down said side and so descend to said top of the plunger on which it will be fully seated.

Having thus described my invention what 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A joint connection for points of railroad rails of a drawbridge with those of an approaching road'bed consisting of point rails'on the drawbridge movable therewith, stock rails on the road bed, said point rails being mounted for elevation to clear the stock rails in the opening and closing movements of the drawbridge, and means for holding said point and stock rails in engage ment side by side as to provide continuities of the headset said rails.

2. A joint connection for points of rail road rails of a drawbridge with those of an approaching road bed consisting of point rails on the drawbridge movable therewith, and stock rails on the road bed, said point rails being mounted for elevation-to clearthe stock rails in the opening and closing of the drawbridge, aneye bolt-like member on a movable pointrail, means on theroadbed adapted to engage the eye of said bolt-like member, and a controlled device for operating said means.

3. A joint connection for points of rail-v road rails of a drawbridge and those of an approaching road bed consistingof point rails on the drawbridge and stock rails on the road bed, eye bolt-likemembers. on the movable point rails, and a slide bolton the road bed adapted to engage the eye of each said bolt-like member, and means for operating said bolt.

4. A joint connection for points of railroad rails of a drawbridge with those of an approaching road bed consistingof point rails on the drawbridge movable therewith, and stock rails on the road bed, an eye-boltlike member on a movable point rail, means on the road bed adapted to engage the eye of said bolt-like member, a controlled device for operating, said means, and a spring pressed member on the road bed adapted to bear resiliently on said bolt-like member when the latter. is in operative position.

5.A joint connection for points of railroad rails of a drawbridge with those of an approaching road bed consisting vof point rails on the drawbridge movable therewith, and stock rails on the road bed, an eye boltlike member on a movable point rail, means on the road bed adapted to engage the eye of said bolt-like member, .a controlled device for'operating'said means, a box on the-road bed, and a resilient plunger in said boX,'said bolt-like member being adapted to be seated on said plunger and subjected to the pressure thereof.

6. A joint connection forrpoints. of railroad rails of a drawbridge with those of an approaching road bed consisting of point rails on the drawbridge movable therewith,

and stock rails on the road bed, an eye boltllke member on a movable point rail, means on the road bed adapted to engage the eye ing connections adapted to guide said plunof said bolt-like member, a controlled deger in said box. vice for operating said means, a box on the road bed, and a resilient plunger in said box,

said bolt-like member being adapted to be Witnesses: seated on said plunger and subjected to the JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, pressure thereof, said plunger and box hav- N. BUSSINGER.

THOMAS OBRIEN,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

